A house in Vunivau, Labasa, was destroyed by fire yesterday, marking the second such incident in the area within a month. The homeowner, Mohammed Irshad, was away in Suva for work when the fire erupted. Fortunately, his wife and two children were at home but managed to escape without injury.
Irshad, 31, expressed his disbelief upon receiving a distressing call from his wife, who informed him of the situation. “It happened between 7am and 7:30am,” he stated. He plans to return home soon to arrange temporary accommodation until they can gather funds to begin rebuilding.
As a lorry driver, Irshad had lived in the three-bedroom house for eight years and is unsure about the total damage, noting it took years to acquire their household items.
The National Fire Authority reported that two fire trucks and nine officers from the Labasa Fire Station were dispatched to the location after being alerted to the emergency. Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, the Divisional Police Commander for North, confirmed that an investigation is underway, though the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.